A network may deliver packets via a connectionless protocol, e.g., Internet Protocol (IP), and/or a connection oriented protocol, e.g., Multiprotocol Label Switching protocol (MPLS). Connection oriented protocols may pre-calculate a path between a source node and a destination node, and deliver packets on the path. The path may be referred to as a “primary path.” The establishment of primary paths may take into consideration factors such as, but not limited to, priorities of paths, and network available bandwidth. In the event a link or node on a primary path fails, data traffic carried on the primary path must be re-routed to an alternate path within a specified time using a link/node protection, e.g., a fast re-route (FRR). As a network adds more capacity and carries more data traffic, the network may carry uneven data traffic loads among different trunks and nodes. Existing link/node protection may not optimize the alternate path building to balance the data traffic loads.
These and other embodiments and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the various exemplary embodiments.